Step 5

Step 6

Step 7

Make another Color Balance adjustment layer and later the Shadows and Highlights values. On this layer mask, use a soft black to erase the left side and leave the yellow light effect visible on the right.

Step 8

Create a Curves adjustment layer to brighten this sky.

Step 9

Isolate the ruin and place it onto the top of the mountain. Use a layer mask to blend the ruin of the ground.

Step 10

To make shadow of the ruin on the ground, create a new layer below the ruin one. Hold the Control key and click the thumbnail of the ruin layer to load its selection.

Press Ctrl+I to invert this selection. Use the Polygonal Lasso Tool (L) to reduce the selection following the form of the visible ruin and press Ctrl+I again.

Step 11

Fill this selection with the color #13100e and flip it vertically ( Edit > Transform > Flip Vertical ) . Move it down and use the Free Transform Tool (Ctrl+T) to distort this shadow to fit the light direction.

Step 12

Reduce the opacity of the shadow to 60% and apply a Gaussian Blur of 3 px to this layer.

Add a mask to this layer and use a soft black brush to reduce the opacity on the top and bottom of the shadow.

Step 13

Make a Color Balance adjustment layer above the ruin layer (set as Clipping Mask ) and alter the Midtones and Highlights values.

Step 14

Create a Curves adjustment layer to bring more light to the contour of the ruin. On this layer mask, paint on the hidden/shadow areas of the ruin so they won’t be affected by this adjustment layer.

Step 15

Use a Brightness/Contrast adjustment layer to reduce the contrast of the ruin a bit to fit the atmosphere of the scene.

Step 16

Open the dragon 1 image and use the Move Tool to place him to the left side of the canvas.

Step 17

Make a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer to change the color of this dragon.

Step 18

Create a Curves adjustment layer to brighten the dragon. On this layer mask, paint on the shadow/hidden areas of the dragon to keep their contrast.

Step 19

Make a new layer, change the mode to Overlay 100% and fill with 50% gray.

Activate the Dodge Tool (O) with Midtones Range , Exposure about 10% to bring more light to some details of the dragon. You can see how I did it with Normal mode and the result with Overlay mode.

Step 20

Place the dragon 2 in the right side of the canvas.

Step 21

Make a Color Balance adjustment layer to change the color of the dragon.

Step 22

Create a Curves adjustment layer to brighten the dragon, especially the contour. The selected areas show where to paint on the layer mask.

Step 23

Add a new layer, change the mode to Overlay 100% and fill with 50% gray. Use the Dodge and Burn Tool to refine the light/shadow on the dragon.

Step 24

Open the dragon 3 image. Select the dragon only and add him to the top of the ruin.

Go to Edit > Puppet Warp to drag the right leg of the dragon onto the top of the ruin.

Step 25

Make a new layer below the dragon 3 one. Use a soft brush with the color #13100e , the opacity about 30% to paint shadow for this dragon on the ruin.

Step 26

Create a Color Balance adjustment layer to alter the color of the dragon.

Step 27

Use a Curves adjustment layer to brighten the dragon.

Step 28

Make a new layer, change the mode to Overlay 100% and fill with 50% gray. Use the Dodge and Burn Tool to enhance to light and shadow of this dragon.

Step 29

Come back to the dragon 3 image. Select the man to add to the front of the ruin 3, onto the top of the ruin. Add a mask to this layer to erase the sword inside his hand.

Step 30

Use a Color Balance adjustment layer to change the color/light of the man.

Step 31

Add a Curves adjustment layer to brighten the man.

Step 32

Create a new layer, use the Dodge and Burn Tool to refine the light/shadow on the man.

Step 33

Open the sword image and select the second one to add to the hand of the man. Use a layer mask to remove the part covering the hand.

Step 34

Make a Color Balance adjustment layer to alter the sword’s color.

Step 35

Open the light image and add it to the sword, change its mode to Linear Dodge 100% . Use Ctrl+T to transform the light.

Step 36

Make a new layer, use a soft brush with the color #f9dab8 to paint over the dragon 3 and man. Lower the opacity of this layer to 20% to give this area some misty effect.

Step 37

Make a Gradient Map adjustment layer on top of the layers and pick the color #10424b and #e5d07b . Change this layer mode to Soft Light 100% and on this layer mask, paint on the bottom of the both sides to reduce the effect there.

Step 38

Create a Color Balance adjustment layer to change the color of the whole scene. The selected areas show where to paint on the layer mask.

Step 39

Make a Brightness/Contrast adjustment layer to decrease the light/contrast of the scene.

Step 40

Add a Curves adjustment layer to reduce the light on the bottom of the whole scene.